Singapore’s Covid‑19 Vaccine on the Brink of Global Launch
Phase 2 in the Wind, Phase 3 on the Horizon
Associate Professor Jenny Low, who runs Singapore’s SingHealth Investigational Medicine unit, just gave the Straits Times the scoop: Phase 2 is wrapping up in November and, fingers crossed, Phase 3 should kick off by the end of December. The vaccine, which was birthed by a team of Singaporean scientists and a U.S. pharma partner, is moving faster than a kangaroo on a trampoline.
Quick‑fire Primer on Clinical Trial Phases
- Phase 1 & 2 – the “getting to know you” stage. Here, a hand‑full of volunteers (think a few hundred, not the entire nation) test the vaccine’s safety and whether it actually makes the immune system dance.
- Phase 3 – the “big‑city block party.” Thousands to tens of thousands of people get the shot (or a placebo), and scientists check does it keep people from getting sick? This stage is split across multiple countries, because you want a worldwide safety net.
What Scientists Are Talking About
Prof. Ooi Eng Eong from Duke‑NUS (and a co‑developer of the vaccine, thanks to a partnership with U.S. company Arcturus Therapeutics) said there are still a lot of questions.
He confessed that deciding how many volunteers are needed for Phase 3 is a bit like picking a fish population for a fishing expedition—it’s all about the right mix. The bigger the virus cluster, the more data, but it also brings logistical headaches.
“We’re confident the vaccine will work, but the big Aha! moments are coming: Will it be a single‑dose surprise or a two‑dose encore?” Ooi mused. “If it’s one‑dose, people won’t have to pop back up for a second dose—fewer appointments, less missed lunch breaks.”
Global Landscape: Where Singapore Stands
Out there, about 154 vaccine candidates are still in the lab, a baby‑step stage called pre‑clinical. Far fewer—44—are in the real‑world testing phase, of which only 10 have reached the adrenaline‑spiking Phase 3. The cite‑me‑list includes:
- Moderna’s ramp‑up in the United States
- AstraZeneca (Oxford) juggling trials across Australia, Brazil, Japan, India, and South Africa
- Sinovac Biotech teamed with Bio Farma in Indonesia (launching in late August)
Singapore’s vaccine moves into this pool of Phase 3 trials like a well‑versed tennis player playing in a Grand Slam tournament.
Safety First, Even When the Cold‑Weather Sneezes
Ooi noted that some Phase 3 trials worldwide have been waved off when volunteers got sick for unrelated reasons, like a sudden coffee spill or a minor car crash. Don’t sweat it—everyone’s curiosity surrounding severe adverse events is about making sure the vaccine is safe. An independent panel of experts will review each case and rule out any vaccine links.
A Final Word
As Singapore rolls out the next and hopefully grandest stage of the Lunar‑Cov19 vaccine, it pretends to be at the frontline of global immunization with a mixture of scientific rigor, a dash of bold optimism, and a sprinkle of humor. Stay tuned, stay safe, and maybe—just maybe—say goodbye to that extra dose!
